First things first. BREATHE! It took me going on 6 years to figure out that I can't be super teacher and teach EVERTYTHING. ...I just try to make it look like I do. Don't beat yourself up. You are on this list serv and that is a BIG advantage and shows your professionalism. That being said... Here is my 2 cents 1. I teach in TX too. Most districts have a scope and sequence that says to teach x stuff the first 6 weeks, y stuff the second, etc. Try to find yours. I didn't have one my first year (in Arkansas) and was totally lost. Having one the last 4 really made a difference. Your department head is the go to person for that. I have learned that balance is the key and I try not to do too much in isolation. I teach everything through novels. (This year I will try to add short stories in the mix) Our unit texts must be in TAKS format. as we go over the test I teach test strategies. Also as we read the novels, I bring in poetry and nonfiction as it applies to the subject.
2. See Number 1. (we also have an advisory class where the students learn test taking strategies and have TAKS practice packets.) 3. sure, if you want. try it. if it doesn't work, don't do it again. or modify it to make it work for you. trial and error. Balance, young grasshopper. 4. I teach mainly using novels as my text and bring in other sources to suppliment what we are reading. Yes to the other question. 5. PLEASE teach your kiddos how to read a science text. Teach them how it is organized, what the bold faced words mean, what the headings mean, captions, how to read a chart, etc. they REALLY need that help. FYI- our science text is for 8th graders, but it is on a 12.5 grade level reading level...some places were recorded at 17+! The textbooks, especially science, is WAY over their heads. They need lots of help with that. Hope I was able to help you. Take a deep breath. You will do a great job next year. What district are you in? I am in Lewisville ISD, but was in Harlandale (in San Antonio) for 2.5 years. Can't wait to go back to SA. Let me know i can help you any more. Ashli On 7/23/07, Maggie Dillier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Alright, friends, here goes: I need help with my entire reading > curriculum. > I have asked for help with various details, but when it comes down to it, > I > really need an outline to plug those details into. I just finished my > first > year of teaching, and I can't bear to let down another group of kids when > it > come to reading. (Exaggerating; I think I'm an excellent teacher, but I > hate > those areas of weakness!) My school and district are VERY > traditionally-oriented (book reports out the yang), so I feel isolated and > need some help from teachers I actually admire! > > Please help. (By the way, I have read all the professional books you are > going to recommend. I can't seem to integrate all their > ideas satisfactorily.) Some of the issues I struggle with are: > > 1. *Teaching strategies (making connections, visualizing, etc.) versus > text structures (setting, character, etc.) versus genre*. Do you teach > all strategies early in the year and then literary elements later, or do > you > mingle both? (Clarification: I can see the year being arranged like > this: "fiction, nonfiction, poetry, test prep..." or like this: "making > connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring...") > 2. *Integrating test preparation for the big reading test*. See > previous posts. Do I teach a whole unit on test-taking, with test > passages > and the whole deal, or do I teach the type of questions that will be > asked > (compare and contrast, author's purpose, cause and effect) in another > context (i.e., guided reading)? > 3. *Aligning reading with writing topics*. When I'm teaching > nonfiction in writing, should I do nonfiction in reading at the same > time? > 4. *Guided reading*. WHAT texts do you teach? Do you reinforce > whatever you taught in a minilesson, or is it a different focus > entirely? > 5. *Content-area reading*. Probably some of you don't teach all > subjects, but I do, and I wonder if I should teach reading the science > textbook in science or in reading. Is content-area reading a unit you > teach? > Should I do it as part of guided reading instead of whole-class? > > Okay, that is it for now. I TOLD you it was the big question. For ease of > responding, I have numbered each issue and you can jot some ideas for that > number only when you reply! I am relying on your expertise, everyone! > Thanks > in advance. > > ~Maggie > 5th/TX > > -- > Maggie Dillier > > "If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood > and > don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the > endless immensity of the sea." (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
